


A STENOGRAPHIC COPY 

OF THE 

VERBAL REPORT 

OF SOME OF THE 

PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMANDERY-IN-CHIEF 
PHILADELPHIA, OCTOBER 20, 1909 

MADE AT THE 

STATED MEETING OF THE OHIO COMMANDERY 
COLUMBUS, 0„ NOVEMBER 3, 1909 

BY 

MAJOR W. R. THRALL, 

Recofder Ohio Commandery of the Loyal Legion. 

Published by Order of the Commandery 



REPORT. 

The Commanper: We will now hear the Recorder's report of the proceed- 
ings of the Commandery-in-Chief. 

The Recorder : Mr. Commander ; by reason of the resokition at the 
last stated meeting I proceeded to Philadelphia to as well as I could individually 
represent the Ohio Commandery at the Commandery-in-Chief. This Commandery 
is entitled to thirty-six votes in the Commandery-in-Chief. I am sorry to say 
that I stood there alone as your representative. I do not know exactly what 
the attendance was. It could not have been far from one hunared members. 
Am I right, General Dodge ? 

General Dodge : Yes. 

The Recorder : Commander-in-Chief Dodge presided. The business of 
the Commandery-in-Chief is all prepared in advance by that able Recorder-in- 
Chief, who might properly be styled the father of the Loyal Legion, because he 
was the Recorder of the Commandery of Pennsylvania from which was extended 
the order to give it its national character, and to give to twenty States, and the 
District of Columbia, the right each to have a Commandery of its own. 

In the preparation of the cases that are submitted to the Commandery-in- 
Chief the papers are all arranged and when called it is generally moved to refer 
to a Committee of Three, That is agreed to and the Chair appoints the Com- 
mittee of Three. The committee takes the subject-matter with these papers, 
■retires to a back room or some other room and considers the matter and brings 
back a report ; whereupon some one promptly suggests that the report of the 
committee be adopted, and that the conclusions be recorded as the decision of 
the Commander-in-Chief; and that carries with great unanimity in almost all 
cases. I speak of this to show that the Commandery-in-Chief is compelled to 
adopt this course, I suppose, by reason of the limited time allowed for the dis- 
cussion of and the knowledge of all the business that is presented to it during 
the year. We only had one day. We met at ten o'clock in the morning, had our 
recess probably of thirty or forty minutes for a light buffet lunch in the rooms, 
and continued business through the day until five o'clock in the evening; so that 
the entire transactions of the Commandery-in-Chief with all the complicated 
cases that are presented to it are to be disposed of in that period of time. 

Among the exciting cases that were before them was the case of Captain 
Ferdinand Hanson, from Sioux City, Iowa ; Captain Hanson was a gallant sol- 
dier. He served three years with an unquestioned record, but about the close 
of that time he got into a controversy with some brother officer, and, being a 
German, educated at Heidelberg, infected with the idea of honor and the import- 
ance of maintaining it, and a duel being the only remedy, he challenged his 
brother officer to fight a duel, and the duel was fought. Fie thus violated one 
of the articles of war, and was court-martialed and dismissed the service. 
Subsequently I understand, and if I am in error I hope that our late Commander- 
in-Chief will correct me. Congress amended his record and I understand gave 
him an honorable discharge. When he received that, which I think was two or 
three years ago, be made application to become a member of the Loyal Legion, 

Author 

L'ti. 6 I90ij 



and it was excepted to that the law and rule of the Loyal Legion was that no 
lan who had not an honorable discharge at the close of the war could become 
a member of the Loyal Legion. The case was d'scussed for two or three hours 
and as near as I could judge the sentiment was pretty nearly evenly divided. 
Even those who believe in the rule that an honorable discharge at the close of 
th'e war was indispensable to membership in the Loyal Legion thought because 
of the good record of this man before the war, during the war. and since the 
war, Congress having corrected the record upon the rolls of the department 
and given \vm an honorable discharge years and years afterwards, that he ought 
to be entitled to some consideration. The Recorder-in-Chief made an argument 
that there had been introduced into the last Congress of the United States nearlv 
nine hundred bills for the correction of the records of men who were discharged 
from the Army, some for desertion, some for absence without leave and some 
for one thing and some for another, claim'ng that those nine hundred cases, so 
far as they were officers, would all become applicants to the Loyal Legion, and 
that we nuist adhere to the original law that a man must have had an honorable 
discharge at the close of the war or the doors of the Loyal Legion were shut 
against him. With that argument, which was about the closing of the arguments 
made, the vote was taken and the report of the Committee that he was ineligible 
was carried by a small majority. 

The Commander-in-Chief has among his duties the appointment of a Com- 
mittee on Nominations, and by rule appoints one member from each Commandery. 
There were sixteen Commanderies represented out of the twenty-one. Being 
the only representative from Ohio, I had no difficulty in getting on the Com- 
mittee. I had placed in my hands a paper giving the record of the Registrar- 
in-Chief who has held that office for several years and who was again nomi- 
nated for re-election. I took exceptions — I am telling you, Companions, what I 
did as your representative. I am telling you what I saw and what I heard, 
without expressing an opinion. I objected to the nomination, by this Committee, 
of Major William P. Huxford. the Recorder of the Commandery of the District 
of Columbia, because I had placed in my hands the record taken from the 
Adjutant-General's office of the War Department, giving the information of his 
court-martial while serving in the Army; that he was inflicted, so to speak, upon 
six counts, that he was convicted upon five, and tliat the sentence of the court 
was that he should be "dishonorably dismissed from the service (cashiered was 
in fact the harsher term used) and should be forever prohibited from holding 
office of honor and enioulment in the United States." And yet here he was. 
being renominated for the position of Registrar-in-Chief upon the national 
staff'. T asked the privilege of reading that record, a copy of which I held in 
my hand. He had .some friends upon the committee who vigorously objected 
and who raised the point of order that I had no right to bring anything like 
that in ; and I argued on the other hand that I thought that was what we were 
there for, that we were to nominate good and true men to represent us in an 
official capacity upon what might be denominated the national staff, and w-e had 
a right to inquire into the characters of the men that we were proposing to 
nominate. 

I was overruled and was not permitted to read that document. T had, 

3 



however, saia enough to make an impression upon some of the mem- 
bers, so that when the ballot was taken Major Huxford received six 
votes, and Captain Foering, who had been for many years the Chan- 
cellor-in-Ch'ef, ten votes, and was nominated in his place. I had placed 
Captain Foering in nomination on the spur of the moment because he 
was the only man that occurred to me thinking that his office would be 
in line of promotion and that he would be entirely acceptable to everybody. 
The consequence was he was nominated, and then a new man was put in his 
place as Chance!lor-in-Chief, and the report was ordered to be made to the 
Commandery for its action. That report was not called for until probably the 
last half hour of the session, and when called for the Recorder-in-Chief objected 
to Captain Foering being taken from the Chancellor-in-Chief and nominated as 
Registrar-in-Chief, that in the position he had occupied for many years he was 
simply invaluable, and his place could not be supplied, and he therefore moved 
that Captain Foering's name be substituted for Chancellor-in-Chief instead of 
Registrar-in-Chief, and submitted the declinat'on of the nominee for Chancellor- 
in-Chief. Thereupon Captain Foering immediately rose to his feet and declined 
the nomination as Registrar-in-Chief — a thing unlooked for. Immediately 
one of Major Huxford's friends renominated him; the Commandery over- 
ruled the action of the Committee, and ordered that the Rccorder-in-Chief 
cast one ballot for the Commandery. I was at the end of my string ; I had nobody 
to suggest as a substitute for him, and the thing went through, and you again 
have Major Huxford as your Registrar-in-Chi-ef for the period of two years to 
come, unless sooner relieved. 

I state this fact because it was a part of the doings at Philadelphia. 

We were most beautifully entertained. The Commandery of Pennsylvania 
holds its meetings in the Union League Building, a historical structure, that 
I think has no equal in the United States, and we attended a stated meeting of 
the Pennsylvania Commandery there on the night of the 20th of October. We 
were handsomely entertained. We took the train of cars provided for us on the 
morning of the 21st, and went on our way to Gettysburg, the guests throughout 
of the Pennsylvania Commandery. At Gettysburg we spent two days. We 
arrived about 11 o'clock in the morning, went over the ground of the first day's 
fight and up Gulp's Hill, and the second day we put in on the second and third 
day's fight, going over the whole field, one hundred and more of the old veterans, 
many of them acting as guides, and giving details of incidents during the battle. 
It was one of the most impressive experiences that I have ever had. We sep- 
arated at Gettysburg, some going home by way of Harrisburg and Pittsburg and 
others to Philadelphia. 

I do not know of any other business that was of importance there except 
the action taken upon the objections made by Major Huxford to the admission 
of Major Loeffler to membership in the Ohio Commandery. Many of you 
are acquainted with the details of that matter. Major Loeffler was a German 
enlisted in the regular army long before the Civil War, and had a service of over 
forty years. After the Civil War, General Grant, knowing him as he dia, 
appointed him doorkeeper at the White House. He continued in that capacity 
through both of his administrations and continuously until the present administra- 



tion. President McKin'.ey was so much attached to the man and so appreciated 
the wonderful service he had done for his country that during his term of office he 
appointed Major LoetHer a Captain in the Regular Army. That created some 
disturbance in the District of Columbia. There were a good many army officers 
who thought that was a pretty big jump from a non-commissioned officer up to 
a Captain, and it created a little bit of irritation. After receiving his commission 
as Captain in the Army he applied to the Commandery of the District of 
Columbia for membership in their Commandery. In a very short time he dis- 
covered, through his friends, that a movement had been started to blackball 
him, and he was advised to withdraw his application. That was in 1890. Am I 
mistaken about that? Well, at any rate, he withdrew his application from the 
Commandery before it was reported upon and before any action was had. More 
than five years afterwards he applied to the Ohio Commandery, givin;.j his place of 
residence as Canton, Stark County, Ohio, President McKinley's old hom^?, where 
he had spent a great deal of his time since the President's death and where he 
was a witness to President McKinley's will. Immediately Major Huxford inter- 
posed objections to the Commandery-in-Chief. As soon as I had promulgated 
his application in the circular of the Ohio Commandery I got word from head- 
quarters to arrest the election of LoefBer and to forward all papers to headquar- 
ters. I did so, and in a few aays afterwards the Commandery-in-Chief met in 
Cincinnati and the subject came up again, and I asked the Rccorder-in-Clvief to 
kindly inform us what was the reason that the Ohio Commandery had been 
arrested in the discharge of its duties by a mandate from headquarters in relation 
to Captain LoefHer's case, and was informed "that I had omitted to state in the 
promulgation the fact that he had previously applied to the Washington Com- 
mandery, and had withdrawn his application before making application in Ohio." 
I inquired, "Is that all that is the trouble?'' The Rccordcr-in-Chicf said it was all 
he knew of. I then said, "I will repromulgate that in our next circular and state 
the fact that he had five years previously applied to the Washington Com- 
mandery, and had withdrawn his application." I did so, and at the next meeting 
Captain Loeffler was elected. The papers were all forwarded to headquarters, 
and he appeared personally at a stated meeting and was obligated and in due 
time his insignia and diploma were sent to him. and he is a member in good 
standing in the Ohio Commandery to-day. But there has since been, through the 
industry of this man Huxford, again interposed additional objections to Captain 
Loeffler. Four years ago that was referred to a Committee of Three again, and 
that Committee of Three waited until the second year and then they reported 
back that they wanted further time. They were given another year and then 
they reported back that they still wanted further time ; and only two weeks 
before the meeting in Philadelphia on the 20th of October, I received official 
notice from the Recorder-in-Chicf that the Committee had at last made a report. 
I immediately notified Companion Loeffler, not knowing what the report was, 
not knowing how it was to be met, not knowing what evidence had been adduced, 
I proceeded as your representative to try and find out, and I had great difficulty in 
finding out, but finally I was notified that this Committee was in a room and that 
if I had anything to say to go in before them, that they were going to hear that 
case. I went into the room. I succeeded in having mv friend and our friend. Gen- 



eral Black, accompany me and also Lieutenant Patrick, a member of this Com- 
mandery, who practices law in Washington. This Committee said they were 
prepared to see us, ana I made the best argument I could in the case and then 
asked General Black if he would not please follow upon the legal features of it, 
which he did, and presented a clear and as I thought unquestioned case for that 
Committee that would justify the Ohio Commandcry in their election of Captain 
Loeffler. When Companion Huxford was called upon, he did not occupy three 
minutes. He made a few scattered remarks and the trial closed. When the report 
of the Committee was presented to the Commandery-in-Chief, in session it read as 
follows, and I am indebted to the courtesy of Recorder-in-Cliief Nicholson for a 
copy of this report forwarded to me under date of the 28th of October, "because,"- 
he says, "the publication of the journal will be delayed for some little time, I 
send for your information a copy of the report of the committee for such use 
as you may think proper to make of it." 

The committee appointed to consider the Loeffler case respectfully submit 
the following: 

"Captain Charles David Adam Loeffler made application for membership in 
this order, through the Commandery of the District of Columbia during the month 
of April, 1899, giving his residence as Washington, D. C, but before the Coni- 
mandery took action thereon, the application was withdrawn. 

"During the month of September, 1904, this officer again made application 
for membership in the Order, this time through the Commandery of Ohio, giving 
his residence as Canton, Stark County. Ohio, and was duly elected in that 
Commandery, November 2, 1904. 

"It appears from an interview with Major Huxford. Recorder of the District 
of Columbia Commandery, Major Loeffler admitted that he was not then and 
never had been a resident of Canton, Stark County. Ohio, but that there was a 
probability that at some future time he might reside there. Although he' was 
advised to withdraw his application, because of this misstatement of fact, he did 
not do so, but allowed his election to proceed as stated above. 

"It is a well-known fact that Major Loeffler has been a resident of the city 
of Washington for many years past and has occupied a prominent position 
during these years in the White House. 

"The Commandery-in-Chief has twice upheld the provision of the Consti- 
tution contained in Section 1, Art'cle VI, and which has been violated by Major 
Loeffler. First in the case of Reeves, Journal of the Commandery-in-Chief. 
October, 1898, page 110, and second lin the case of Bosworth, Journal, October. 
1906. page 139. In each of these cases there had been an election to membership 
in Commanderies other than the one in the State where the Candidate resided, 
and in each case the Commandery-in-chief declared such election null and void, 
under the provisions of Section 10, Article VI, of the Constitution of the Order. 

"The committee are of the opinion that in view of the action of the Com- 
mandery-in-Chief at its meeting in 1904, approving the report of the committee 
to which has been referred the case of Loeffler, which committee had recom- 
mended that action on the application should not be taken by the Commandery 
of the State of Ohio pending decision of the Commandery-in-Chief, the election 
should not have been made. 

"The committee, therefore, recommend that following the precedent estab- 
lished in the above cited cases, the election of Major Loeffler be declared null 
and void. 

A. Noel Blakeman, 
William H. Lamrert,, 
Henry L. SwoRn.s, 

Committee." 
6 



Let me say that at the hearing before the committee, where General Black 
and myself and Patrick made the argument for Captain Loeffler, and Huxford 
hadn't anything to say, this interview was never alluded to. Nobody ever heard 
of it. But after we had gotten through before the Commandery-in-Chief, twenty 
minutes before the close of the session, he then read a long interview that he 
claimed he had had with Loefifler and had a stenographer there he said who took 
it down. It was immediately denied by General Black, who got his information 
from Lieutenant Patrick, who was conversant with the facts, and who said that 
statements contained in that alleged afiklavit were untrue. And yet it was the 
basis of the report of this committee. 

When this interview was read by Huxford, Companion Woodbury, of 
Vermont stated that he thought it was unfair for the Commandery-in-Chief to 
act, basing it upon an interview which had been kept from Compan'on Loeffler and 
those who represented him, and from the Commandery of the State of Ohio, and 
that he, therefore, moved that the whole subject be deferred for one year, when 
the Commandcry-in-Chief meets at Denver, and that was carried without opposi- 
tion, and thus ended the Loeffler case for the present. 

GENERAL DoECE : It was referred back to the same committee. 

The Recorder: Yes, it was referred back with all papers, I believe, to the 
same committee that has already prejudged the case. It will come up again at 
Denver. 

And now, Mr. Commander, I want right here, before I take my seat, to 
offer for adoption the following resolution: 

• Ri'solvcd, That the thanks of the Ohio Commandery of the Loyal Legion are 
due and are hereby tendered to General John C. Black for his faithful service 
in defending this Commandery and our Companion, Major C. D. A. Loeffler, 
the validity of whose election as a Companion of the Order, by the Ohio Com- 
mandery was assailed in the Commandery of the District of Columbia, instigated 
bv its Recorder, Major W. P. Huxford, at the late meeting of the Commandery- 
in-Chief at Philadelphia, October 20, 1909. 

T want to say that the argument of General Black for us in that behalf, was 
one which would have met with the enthusiastic approval of every member of 
the Ohio Commandery. 

The Comm.vnder: Before that motion is put I would like to have you 
express your opinion by a vote as to what shall be done with the report of the 
Recorder. I think that is a matter of so much importance that it should be a 
matter of record, and with your approval it will so be" made; and the resolution, 
which has met with a second, I should like to have a rising vote upon. All in 
favor of the resolution as to General Black please rise. 

The vote was unanimous in favor of the adoption of the resolution. 
The Commani;er: Is there any further business before the Comm:indery? 
if not, adjournment is in order. 

Companion W. II. Chambi.rlin: I have no formal resolution, but I move 
that a vote of thanks be given to the Companions of Columbus for their enter- 
tainment of us. I move that such a resolution be prepared and made of record 
at this meeting. 

The motion was carried. 

'7 



Companion Taylor: Commander, it has been suggested in view of the con- 
dition of the case of our Companion Major Loeffler, that it would be proper 
to move that a committee be appointed by our Commander to take charge of his 
case before the Commandery-in-Chief at the next meeting, which will consider 
finally this case. That will be the Denver meeting. I move that a committee of 
five be appointed by our Commander to gather the facts and to formulate a Hne 
of defence in connection with Major Loeffler's attorney. Lieutenant Patrick, to 
present the case at the Denver meeting of the Commandery-in-Chief next year. 

Companion Warnock : I would like to amend that motion to make it the 
duty of the committee to inquire as to the facts stated by our Recorder as to 
the action of Major Huxford, and if it be found to be true that he has taken 
occasion in a spirit of malice and revenge to follow Major Loeffler in this way, 
that that committee be instructed to formulate charges against Major Huxford. 
It seems to me it is the most iniquitous performance I ever heard of that a 
man should be followed and hounded down in this way by a person who himself 
lives in a glass house. I move that this committee be instructed to investigate, 
and if they find that he has done this in a vengeful spirit, that charges be pre- 
ferred to be heara before the Commandery-in-Chief. 

Companion Taylor: In accepting that amendment, I would simply call 
attention of the Commandery to the fact of the rejection of Captain Hanson on 
the ground that he was dishonorably discharged from the service of the United 
States and restored. Major Huxford was present and one of the judges on a 
man who was rejected because he had in the defence of his honor, fought a 
duel, when, as I understand, Major Huxford himself, stood convicted of five 
out of six counts for malfeasance in office, and was cashiered and debarred from 
ever holding a place of emolument or honor under his country. In the matter of 
Captain Loeffler, it all turns on the question of whether a man has a right to 
change his residence or not. A man living in the District of Columbia, is a resident 
of nowhere, unless he elects some place of residence where he shall be a citizen. 
In the District of Columbia, he is a man without a country. He has no right to 
vote, no voice in the government. Captain Loeffler had elected, after due con- 
sideration, that he would consider Canton, Ohio, as his place of residence. This 
same man, Huxford, prevented General H. V. Boynton, of the District of 
Columbia Commandery, from transferring his membership to this Commandery, 
refusing to give him a certificate of transfer, and General Boynton was a citizen 
of Cincinnati, Ohio, registered there every year that the law requires his regis- 
tration, came on every tinie that there was an election. State or National, to 
Cincinnati, to vote. 

The motion as amended was carried. 

The Commander will announce the Committee of Five at or before the next 
stated meeting. 

Companion F. G. Cross : I move that the report made by our Recorder, 
Major Thrall, be approved by this Commandery, and that we extend to him 
a vote of thanks for his stewardship as the representative of the Ohio Com- 
mandery in Phialdelphia. 

A Companion : And that it be made a part of the proceedings. 

The Commander; You will remember that I made the statement that it 
wouIq be made part of the record. 

The motion was carried. 

Adjourned. , 



